Dr Dee (LP)

Damon Albarn

Amoeba Review

Matt M., Hollywood 01/31/2013

Damon Albarn is the Orson Welles of music. His talent knows no bounds! This album makes me think of English gardens, red velvet wallpaper, and hypnotism.

05/22/2012

Judging Dr Dee by the standards of Damon Albarn’s other work — as the lead singer/songwriter of Blur, Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad & The Queen etc. — is a bit pointless, as Dr Dee is based from an opera he helped develop about 16th century mathematician and true Renaissance man John Dee. Heard on its own, apart from its accompanying staging, Dr Dee takes on a new life as a sort of dream-logic exploration of dramatic and sometimes disturbing sound, unlike anything we’ve heard from Albarn before, somewhat akin to Scott Walker’s late era albums. Albarn continues to be inspired by African music, with beats from Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, and using such instruments as the kora and theorbo, placed into a setting that feels both postmodern and arcane. “The Marvelous Dream” could be an unused Blur ballad, its slightly incomplete sound adding to its mystery, while “Saturn” spins Beatleseque melodies into the glorious choral arrangement of “Coronation.” Elsewhere, somewhat more straightforward opera styles reign, as Albarn falls into the background. Fans just looking for more Blur or Gorillaz-style fun will no doubt feel bewildered by the proceedings, but those willing to take the plunge will find Dr Dee fascinating and sometimes moving, as it marks yet another notch in the pole of Albarn’s increasingly vast achievements.